News

European airport retailers redesigning to drive shopper interest and activity

May 10, 2016

Retailers in Europe airports are redesigning and deploying services to drive shopper interest and activity.

The airport businesses are also trying to compete against increasing online competitors. The strategies include ensuring that routes to gates provide enticing marketing to draw flyers into restaurants and shops, according to a CNBC report.

At Vienna airport the quest is to boost the store and food area in Terminal 2 by 50 percent and London Stansted airport has finished a $116 million revamp that provided more room for shops.

"Airports now are basically shopping malls with runways," John Jarrell, head of Airport IT at Amadeus, which supplies technology systems to the industry, told CNBC.

The airport retailer is aiming to spur greater impulse buying and attempting to grab greater attention of mobile device users, such as a special lounge where consumers can relax and have food delivered to them. Several airports are now also housing pop-up shops.

Heathrow airport, which boasts the highest per passenger retail revenues, according to Citi data, boosted retail revenue by 9 percent last year after a huge redesign of its luxury section which also expanded retail space for more top brand names.